Maru Sushi & Grill

Great service and employees even though we came about 10 minutes till close. I had the Smoked Salmon!

I was in the area several years ago for a conferance and ate here 3 days in a row. The restraunt was clean and the waitress was friendly. The sushi tasted fresh and beautifully prepared.
Flash forward to 2016 and I was going to be in the area and thought I would stop in again. I met some friends there and had a fabulous meal. We had about 5 different sushi rolls and several appetizers. Everything here was fresh and a complete work of art.
Glad to see they are doing so well.

when we first got there, an older lady was acting as server and she was horrible. didn’t bring the water i asked for and seemed to not know the menu. about halfway through the meal, a younger serve came on shift and she spent the first 10min running around and getting everyone what they needed including my water. the sushi was decent but the tuna kabachi was too spicy and the warm sake was serve barely warmed. my advice? go when the younger server is on shift, she knew what she was doing.

The fish in the sushi was very fresh. Loved the Castaway roll. Had the mango salmon and tuna trio which were also a delight. Will definitely come back to try more. They have a huge variety of rolls. The ginger dressing in salad is home made and very delicious. So glad we tried out Maru’s.

Conch and octopus salad was inedible and had terrible flavor. Spider roll tasted very fishy and decided not to eat it for fear of getting sick. Other two special rolls from the menu were nothing worth mentioning. $ 50 wasted. Won’t be back.

I wouldn’t say I’m a regular at Maru but I’ve definitely stopped in a few times. I was happy to see the old man was working, So I was excited to get my sushi. Although as I was eating it just wasn’t the same as when the younger man makes it. It took a lot longer and the roll was loose. The younger man is exceptionally fast when making his rolls and doesn’t let the speed of his work interfere with his presentation because it’s always exquisite. Don’t get me wrong the sushi is always good at Maru, But just wasn’t the same. I need to find the days when the younger gentleman is working that’s when I’ll be there the most!

Tried this place because of the high reviews, but the experience was definitely not a 4.5 star experience.
There is a good selection of rolls on the menu. Rolls were OK — average at best because the rice was quite mushy.
What was most surprising was the salmon in our order of salmon sushi was still stone cold. In fact the middle of the piece was still frozen! I have never experienced that before.
Service was average at best. Had to flag down the waitress when we needed something despite the fact there were only 3 tables occupied in the entire restaurant. Water was only refilled at the end of the dinner by request. Sushi took forever to make despite an empty restaurant.
So perhaps we went on an off evening as it was during the week. But for the prices (which are not cheap), the quality of the food and service was definitely not a 4+ star experience.

Food was good. Service was good and attentive, but could have been friendlier. Some tables had yet to be cleared after previous diners left, but it didn’t ruin the experience. Enjoyed the bibim bap. Nice atmosphere and next time will try the sushi. Other tables ordered the sushi and it looked great!

I have been coming to Maru’s for years! Unfortunately, not as often as I use to due to the distance. However, this restaurant is still my favorite sushi place in Central Florida! I stopped in yesterday for lunch as I was in Sanford for work. I was sad to see that the owner wasn’t there, and a younger gentlemen was preparing the sushi. I must say, one of the reason I have loved Maru was because it was always the same person preparing the sushi, unlike many other restaurants. You could always count on quality, and amazing conversation if you say at the bar. I asked the waitress where he was, and sadly she hesitated before saying he was on vacation (which does make me wonder). I truly hope that he is doing well, as he was an amazing man, and an incredible chef!
Even with his absence, the younger gentlemen preparing the sushi did a good job! It is clear that Maru has held true to their reputation of choosing only the freshest fish! I will definitely be back next time I am in town, and hopefully the owner will be back in action creating his amazing rolls!

I’m giving it 3 stars because the past couple times I went in. The sushi is good but way over priced, I might as well go to Anura down the street. But the older chef was not creative. Never wanted to make something or modify any roll for me. The kitchen food was nothing special. I could recreate it at home. But the most recent time I went in I noticed there was a new younger chef. So I asked to make something special and he did. It came out faster than the previous 30 min wait times. And it was better than anything I had in the menu. I will be back as long as the younger gentleman is behind the bar.!!

The best sushi I have ever had! Beats Amura on taste, quality and price! Try the signature roll, it my favorite with eel sauce. (It’s not made from eel… lol)

This place is clean and up to date and quiet!
Service is great the girl that normally works there is very nice and cute one of the reasons I go back,. Someday I’ll tell her lol!
As for the food. The Korean food is ok not the best just ok. Their sushi seems fresh nothing out of the norm.
I gave it a three stars cause it isn’t as special as some say it’s just a local sushi Korean fashion place with food that is a little above average and the prices seem over priced…
I keep going back since the girl is cute lol and it’s next to the theater in the mall so I don’t have to go out my way…

Love this place for the sushi!!! The husband and wife team are amazing. We love supporting local and our community. Favorites: signature roll, soy joy roll, heathrow roll…

Lunch specials are decent for what it is, my coworkers and I frequently go.
Small pet peeves–
1) Their onion and miso soup are awful so don’t be optimistic.
2) They charge if you request one extra white sauce.
3) They give soy packets for to go orders (never enough btw). Is it really that much effort or so costly to provide soy sauce in a little container as opposed to patrons having to squeeze and spill it at their desk?
In addition, dinner rolls were extremely disappointing. Presentation was wonderful, rolls looked amazing and were a decent size. However, fish was not fresh and meal lacked any flavor. I would try again but with no expectations of anything close to great; just very avg sushi conveniently located next to me.

Well I never ate there because I was ignored. I arrived a little after 1. No one was there to greet or say take a seat eventually the guy making sushi yelled across the restaurant to have a seat anywhere. 3 minutes later server hands me a menu and asked me what Id like to drink. I told him water he said he said he would be right back 6 minutes later no water. He was cashing people out at the register and then across the restaurant he goes and asks a table who walked in one minute ago what they would like. I could tell they were regulars but still no excuse. At lunch time people expect fast service. I got up and walked out. I only saw one server the whole time and the sushi maker. I left really annoyed because I had this place bookmarked on Unilocal for a long time. Well food may be 5 stars but service at lunch should be avoided.

I don’t know what everyone else is on, but I had did not have good sushi here. Totally disappointed. The rice was no good, and the unagi came out cold and stale. The server was nice enough, but I felt like it was a waste of money paying the bill.
It’s near the mall, and there aren’t too many sushi places in Sanford, but if you really like sushi, find somewhere better than this.

Love love love this place.
I try and visit at least once a week for lunch.
The food is delicious and fresh, as well interesting (the rolls all taste and look unique).
The service is also very good. Even when there is just 1 person serving & tons of people inside, I’m amazed at just how fast everything is made & served.
Will keep going as long as they are open (hopefully for a very long time)!

Last night’s experience at Maru was as close to sushi heaven as I’ve ever come. Let me preface — I’m not a big sushi guy. However, my gf loves sushi and I love introducing her to new places so we took a leap and headed to Maru. Let’s break it down:
Interior design /​ambiance: 4 stars
Don’t let the fact that it’s in a strip mall stop you. Inside, a beautiful back splash behind the sushi station proudly displays the business’ name. Quaint and charming as a whole, but appropriately lit for the theme they’re going for. Furniture wasnt top notch but was in fine condition and appropriate for the venue. Only thing a little off was the music. Would’ve preferred something more traditional instead of Top 40 hits, but a small gripe.
Food: 4 stars (just shy of 5)
Simply put, the sushi was the best sushi I’ve ever had. Ordered the Sweet Potato Tempura Roll, Sexy Bacon Roll (most unique), and my personal favorite the Retro Roll. Let me reiterate I don’t know much about sushi, but my gf does and she loved them all too. The latter two rolls were «specialty rolls» and they were HUGE! We also ordered the beef gyoza as an app (delicious) and the Bulgogi which, while certainly good, was a little dry and not the best I’ve had.
Drink Selection: 4 stars
Decent selection of wine, Asian and American beer, and specialty Asian drinks (sake, plum wine, etc.)
Service: 5 stars
Some of the best casual service I’ve ever received, all thanks to Ney. She is the BOMB! Laid back, but never unprofessional, She guided us through the menu with an easygoing and fun demeanor. We had a blast with her. Additionally, the owner (who was also the sushi chef) was very kind.
I can’t wait to go back and visit Ney and have another Retro Roll at Maru!

The best roll of sushi I have ever had in my life was from Maru Sushi & Grill last night. I ordered the Retro. AMAZING!!! It was a perfect blend of ingredients that seemed to work in the most beautiful way. The prices are not bad at all either. I will be coming back for more!
Side note, the water is good. Sometimes water at restaurants taste really bad but this place must use a filter or something.

Simply excellent. Anything I say about Maru will only diminish your possible opinion of them, but I have to leave *something* in the review.
I started off with the calimari salad. Good sized portion that had some smaller and some larger tidbits in there with a tangy vinegar. Easy to eat wtih chopsticks while I watched the sushi chef putting other orders including my own together.
And then my two rolls were ready. A «Fusion» roll which was a mix of different fish inside of a skinned cucumber. No rice here, just cucumber and fish and yumminess. Awesome. And yes, I ate the cucumber. My waitress said that most people don’t. What a waste!
My other roll was the fuji apple and tuna. It was good. Fresh tasting, lots of tuna and delicious. I’ve never had apple in a sushi roll before. Try it!
With it, I had a beer I’ve never had before. Ginga Kogen, an unfiltered witbier. Excellent with sushi!
Good service, great food, excellently assembled and presented sushi. Five stars for Maru!